


we'll meet again

by notascientist



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Ad Man San, Angst, Comms/Code Breaker Mingi, Criminal Joong, Engineer/Munitions Expert Yeosang, Informant Woo, M/M, Medic Yunho, Minor Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin, Muscle Jongho, Royal Seonghwa, Sergeant Hwa, Spies & Secret Agents, WWII Aesthetic, X Company vibes, but just the prologue, enemies to comrades, he continues to suffer :( he just wants to be an academic and study literature, if you will, like in all my fic seongjoong are antagonistic, members from BTS and Kard show up eventually, more ship tags to be added, non-linear storytelling, not set in our history, spies au, then we flash back :)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:47:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notascientist/pseuds/notascientist
Summary: Their allies to the east have fallen and the invasion is on their doorstep.Camp Aurora is the unofficial name of the kingdom's secret base for training covert agents in the art of clandestine operations. After inheriting his father's position at the base, Seonghwa is assigned his own team for a vital mission that could turn the tides of the war in their favour.He just needs to keep them alive through their other assignments first. And he especially needs to not throttle the short, insufferable smuggler with no love lost for their country who's their only chance of making it back alive.
Relationships: Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jung Wooyoung/OMC, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 12
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! here's a new fic!! a few notes before we start:
> 
> -though i absolutely steal plenty of aesthetics and technology from the 30s/40s (primarily from canada and europe), this is not set during that time or in our world  
> -i very much do not understand how army rankings work and this will likely become evident  
> -i was heavily inspired by camp x and the show the x company (worth a watch if you've got nothing better to do)  
> -genre typical violence will be included  
> -no nazis!! and no nazi equivalents!! i just want the aesthetic!!! joong!!! in!!! suspenders!!!!  
> -fun fact: working title in my docs is totally spies au  
> -we're gonna put the lads through the ringer, friends!! cause war?? war never changes etc etc etc 
> 
> very different vibe from bad things, but i hope you enjoy regardless
> 
> reminder: prologue is shorter than avg chapter and set in the future, we're gonna *record scratch* "yup, that's me. you're probably wondering how i got here" this bish

He’s going to die. That thought, in and of itself, is unsurprising considering the situation he’s found himself in. Though the searing pain from where the bullet is lodged in his lower abdomen is less than ideal, and the layer of sweat coating his entire body causes his days old shirt and trousers to stick to his skin, and his back--

Hongjoong’s back is pressed up against the sergeant’s. He can feel Seonghwa’s heavy breathing, steady but still just on the edge of erratic as he works to quiet it after dragging Hongjoong’s body deep into the hidden panel of the closet in the safe house. Well, not so safe anymore. 

_ Seonghwa’s _ going to die here. Hongjoong grimaces as he uses his elbow to push himself further upright, but instead of the wooden floor he feels the flesh of Seonghwa’s thigh. The sergeant is probably biting his lip and staring at the low ceiling of their tiny hiding spot as his elbow digs in, but he remains silent. Hongjoong would laugh if the situation weren’t so dire. 

There’s a crash from the kitchen. The boots haven’t made it to the bedroom just yet, but it won’t be long until they follow Hongjoong’s trail of blood right to the closet.

“Don’t move.” The words are spoken so low that had Seonghwa’s lips not been pressed right up against his ear, he couldn’t have been certain anyone spoke at all.

“Pills, Hwa. Please,” Hongjoong croaks with what feels like an inordinate amount of effort. He feels Seonghwa shaking his head, tightening his hold on Hongjoong’s arms.

Back at camp, during the early early days of training, Hongjoong had picked a small compact decorated with blue butterflies for this very purpose the day after his instructors gave their lesson on the various pills agents should carry on their person at all times. Yeosang had helped modify it so the small pills remained hidden at a glance. 

“For,” Hongjoong begins and pauses to shift again between Seonghwa’s legs, “for the pain.”

There’s an officer yelling something in the kitchen, but Hongjoong can’t make it out. Instead, he feels Seonghwa’s hand loosen its grip on his right arm to reach across to his pocket where he knows Hongjoong keeps the compact. 

“We’ll get out of this.” Seonghwa says it with confidence as he places it into Hongjoong’s hand. He can’t hear anything in his voice to indicate he believes otherwise, but Hongjoong knows better.

“Yeah,” Hongjoong says, “we will.” 

He doesn’t need light to unlatch the compact and trigger the mechanism that opens the hidden compartment, nor does he need to see the pills themselves, rather he traces his fingers over them, recognizing them by size and shape, until he finds the desired one. He pops it in his mouth.

Hongjoong braces himself before pulling himself entirely upright, clutching across his abdomen to press against the cloth soaked in blood covering the bullet hole. He settles on his heels between Seonghwa’s legs, facing him. He’s almost glad he can’t see his expression; the worry, the dark circles beneath his eyes, the furrowed brows he’s worn since he met up with the team on this side of enemy lines. 

He hears Seonghwa’s lips part in response, possibly an admonishment for aggravating his wound further, but he doesn’t let whatever he plans to say come to fruition. Hongjoong bites down on the pill between his teeth before reaching blindly for Seonghwa’s neck, pulling his lips to his in the darkness.

He’s not sure if it’s the surprise or the knowledge they’re both about to die (or worse), but he meets little resistance as he pushes his tongue past the seam of Seonghwa’s lips, pushing the crushed pill into the other’s mouth. He has less than two minutes before it activates for the both of them.

Seonghwa pulls away sharply. “Hongjoong, what--”

“You should only,” he grits his teeth, pulling his body away from Seonghwa’s with effort, “you should only be asleep for a half an hour. Stay put.”

Hongjoong doesn’t wait for a response as he slides the wood panel separating their alcove from the closet. A sliver of light lands across Seonghwa’s face and for the first time since the others were able to flee he saw his sergeant’s face. 

He wished he hadn’t. Seonghwa’s expression is frozen in an unpleasant blend of confusion and betrayal, his lips remain parted in an “o” and his eyelids looking heavier by the second. 

Just like Hongjoong’s. 

“See you on the other side, eh, serg?” he says, offering a two finger salute with a wry smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. Seonghwa’s brows furrow and he reaches out to grab his arm as Hongjoong turns away and pulls himself out of the alcove with a groan. 

Once through, he struggles to steady his breathing and slides the panel back in place, shimmying a trunk in front of it to disguise any abnormalities or blood. He lets himself fall against the hard wood of the closet wall, missing the warmth from Seonghwa’s body wrapped around him.

The action, unfortunately, results in a sound that can surely be heard from outside the bedroom, but Hongjoong’s body feels limp and he can’t seem to find the energy to move. The noises from the kitchen stop and heavy footsteps come closer. He hears the bedroom door slam open.

Idly, Hongjoong wonders if the effects of the pill have put Seonghwa to sleep yet. He can feel himself getting close.

The curtain separating the closet from the room is pulled back and Hongjoong looks up at the foreign officer, who’s face breaks out in a grin. Hongjoong blinks slowly back at him, squinting at the light.

The officer turns his chin over his shoulder and bellows for his superior before gripping Hongjoong’s ankles and dragging him out into the dull light from the single lamp in the corner beside the bed. 

“It’s a shame, really. Your team leaving you here to die,” he rights himself and pulls out his sidearm, aiming it at Hongjoong’s head.

He wants to sneer and argue with the stranger, assure the man he wasn’t  _ left _ and that his team would have gone down with him if they could. One of them almost did. Still might.

But he doesn’t. Can’t, even, with the weight of his tongue almost as heavy as his eyelids by now. A commanding officer joins them in the bedroom.

“Radio HQ, I want the medical team on standby when we arrive,” he instructs above Hongjoong’s head.

He blinks again, forcing his eyelids open as they fight to remain shut. Why aren’t they killing him? Shouldn’t he have a bullet in his brain by now? 

Hongjoong's confusion must read on his face because the commanding officer leans down. “We have bigger plans. Not so lucky for you, hm?”

He finally allows his eyes to close.

“You cleared the room?” The other officer must have nodded because his superior shouted to the others waiting in the kitchen.

“There’s no one else here! Let’s pack up and move out!”

A sense of relief washes over Hongjoong’s body before the effects of the pill fully take effect and the enemy officers begin to remove him from the safe house. Everything is black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seonghwa gets his new assignment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! i have returned!! not sure how many of you have also read bad things, but i shared some updates on my life there but the short of it:
> 
> \- i got kittens and they have taken up much of my love and attention lately (named them after ateez songs!)  
> \- im now on adhd meds so im hoping to keep you folks from waiting quite so long between updates  
> \- i did some worldbuilding!! it went...okay  
> \- this is entirely unbeta'd, my usual editor does not rpf so im currently SOL
> 
> places guide:  
> Gaehwa - both city name and country name, where Camp Aurora is located and where most of our boys are from (korean origin)  
> Jiha - the Royal DungeonTM located in the city of Gaehwa (korean origin)  
> Jangmi - another city in the kingdom of Gaehwa (korean origin)  
> Nabi - neighbouring country to Gaehwa, invaded by army from another neighbouring country (korean origin)  
> Achtung - The InvadersTM of Nabi who intend to conquer all the places, there’s still a power struggle in Nabi but the Achtung army is working with corrupt government leaders to obtain powers (german origin)  
> Bremenmacht - branch of the Achtung army, on the front lines of the conquering. Career soldiers, big, scary, very efficient (german)
> 
> i realized i couldn’t get away with not naming places or enemies so i turned to google translate. i am fluent in none of these languages and realize some of these names are either redundant or just kind of dumb which i am okay with this but i deeply apologize to any multilingual readers who will suffer because of it
> 
> thank you to everyone who commented, left a kudos or simply read the last chapter!! i hope you enjoy where this goes

**_A few months earlier…_ **

The steady rhythm of the clock fills the silence in the office as Seonghwa sits in the uncomfortable chair across from the desk’s occupant. Brigadier General Min keeps his head down, flipping through the pages of the folder and signing at random intervals. Finally, he flips it closed and looks at Seonghwa. Seonghwa’s attention is drawn to the bright red  _ Classified  _ stamp on the front.

“Was your leave beneficial?” he asks, folding his fingers together over the folder. 

“Yes, sir.”

The general raises an eyebrow, bringing his mug, presumably of coffee, to his lips. “I heard you spent most of it cooped up in your room.”

Seonghwa resists the urge to roll his eyes. “That’s correct, sir. I spent my time reading through my collection. Some of my father’s, as well.” 

At that, General Min at least had the wherewithal to look a little sheepish. 

“Be sure to give the Crown Prince my best the next time you decide to check up on me,” Seonghwa continues. 

“Park.” It was a warning.

“Sorry, sir.” He wasn’t sorry.

General Min sighs and rubs his eyebrows together. “Your cousin is worried about your new assignment. He...expresses it often.”

Seonghwa lips purse together. How kind of the kingdom’s prince to worry about his uncle’s bastard, he thinks bitterly. How lucky for the kingdom the royal family has an expendable scapegoat to show off as a member of their military to demonstrate to the citizens how they’re all in the war together.

Especially with what happened with his father.

“Jimin worries.” Seonghwa shifts in his seat. 

“He has every reason to,” General Min says and pauses, considering his next words carefully. “We’re working on bringing General Park home, Seonghwa. We’ll...he’ll come home.”

Seonghwa nods stiffly. Though it wasn’t his decision to join the military, rather an expectation from their royal highnesses his paternal grandparents, he’s been around long enough to know his father isn’t just missing after a diplomatic mission across the border in Nabi right before their government fell to the Achtung army.

Because of his status as the younger brother of the king, no one states the reality. General Park is presumed dead. Seonghwa wouldn’t have been given leave otherwise, despite sharing blood with the royal family. 

“You mentioned a new assignment, sir?”

The general slips back into his rank. “I need you leading a team for what we hope to be the turning point in this war.”

“A team, sir?” Seonhwa’s stomach sinks. This doesn’t sound like the desk job he’d been hoping for.

Min nods. “They’re currently being trained up at Camp Aurora. They don’t know it yet, but they’ll be tasked with one of the most important missions we’ve undertaken so far. And you’ve been chosen to lead them.”

Camp Aurora, his father’s base in the northern mountains of Gaehwa. It’s also the base where their military trains covert agents and clandestine operatives.

“Why me?” It slips out, formalities forgotten.

“We need a leader that’s proven worthy of our trust. We also need someone the team can rely on.”

Seonghwa scoffs. “You need someone to make the royal family look good when it succeeds.” 

Or the bastard somehow third in line for the throne to blame when it goes belly up.The words hang in the air, unsaid. The general sighs. 

“Believe what you want, but these were your father’s plans. He specifically requested your involvement.”

His gaze snapped up to meet Min’s. 

“Don’t look so surprised. Here,” he slides the folder across the desk for Seonghwa to take. “Get briefed. I have men gathering your belongings from your current barracks as we speak, your car leaves in less than a half an hour.”

Seonghwa removes the folder from the desk gingerly. “Yes, sir.”

“You’re dismissed. Congratulations on the promotion, Sergeant Park. I’ll be up to the camp in a week or so once you’ve settled in,” Min says before taking another sip of his coffee and waving him away. 

He’s halfway to the door when Min continues, “One more thing, Park. You’ll have company on your trip. The last member of your team will be joining you.”

Seonghwa pauses with his hand wrapped around the doorknob and glances back.

“Word of advice if you don’t get the opportunity to get fully briefed before the car leaves; don’t remove his blindfold.” Seonghwa’s brows furrow.

“Yes, sir.” He tightens his grip on the folder and exits the general’s office. 

Turning his commanding officer’s warning over and over in his head, Seonghwa spends the next half an hour poring over the documents provided. It’s short, truly intended to provide him with the briefest details of the assignment before he arrives at camp. Curious about his team, he flips through to where the pages featuring them are located. Whoever put together the folder chose not to include images or given names of the agents, their only identifiers being assigned aliases. Seonghwa recognizes his father’s handwriting. 

_ Uno 27, M _

_ Education: Surgical Intern, Park Royal Hospital _

_ Recruited from basic training in the capital (Incomplete). Adaptable personality. Quick thinker. Background in trauma, biochemistry and natural remedies. _

_ Requested role: Field Medic  _

_ Requested by: General Park _

Seonghwa flips the page.

_ Howl 27, M _

_ Employment: Advertising, Gaehwa Royal Ballet Company _

_ Recruited upon completion of basic training. Graduated top of his class from Geumjanhwa University. Accomplished artist and copywriter. _

_ Requested role: Recruitment _

_ Requested by: General Park _

Frowning, he flips back to Uno’s profile hoping he missed some details. He’ll have to wait until they arrive at Camp Aurora to get the full profile, but he can read between the lines. Backgrounds in biochemistry and natural remedies were his father’s shorthand for being knowledgeable in how the human body reacts to certain compounds and being able to find and create them, while recruitment translates to convincing citizens of Nabi it’s in their best interest to rise up and join the resistance. 

He flips over to the next page. 

_ Iyaah 27, M _

_ Employment: Communications Officer, [Redacted] _

_ Recruited from his position at base. Experience running ops from this side of enemy lines. Adept with creating or solving ciphers. _

_ Requested role: Comms/Codebreaker _

_ Requested by: General Park _

And the next.

_ Shinwoo 26, M _

_ Employment: Lance Corporal, His Majesty’s Royal Armed Forces _

_ Recruited from his position in RAF. Proven capable in the field. Level-headed and able to make sound judgement under duress. Completes mission at all costs. _

_ Requested role: [Redacted] _

_ Requested by: General Park _

Seonghwa sighs, wondering who exactly Shinwoo killed to get this write-up from his father.

_ Logan 27, M _

_ Education: Graduate Student, University of Jangmi _

_ Recruited from basic training (incomplete). Focus on engineering. Smarter than he lets on. _

_ Requested role: Munitions Expert _

_ Requested by: General Park _

The next page causes Seonghwa pause.

_ Mars 28, M _

_ Education: Classic Literature, University of Jangmi _

_ Employment: Corporal, His Majesty’s Royal Armed Forces _

He frowns. The details on his history and skills, no matter how brief they would be, is left blank.

_ Requested role: Commanding Officer _ _  
_ _ Requested by: General Park _

Seonghwa traces his fingers over the imprint of his father’s pen. He grimaces as he feels his heart fill with warmth at the prospect of a fuller document detailing his father’s thoughts on him and why he’s the one put forward for the role waiting for him at Camp Aurora.

The next page no longer reflects the general’s script, but rather Brigadier General Min’s. Seonghwa bites his bottom lip. This must be the last minute addition who’s joining him.

_ Lucky 28, M _

_ Background in non-sanctioned-- _

“Sergeant Park?” Seonghwa’s eyes snap up to a private beckoning him from the empty office he’s waiting in to the hallways leading outside.. “We’re just about ready to leave, sir.”

He inserts his finger into the folder where he stopped reading. “Yes, of course.”

Seonghwa stands, following the private with his peripherals while continuing to read.

_ Background in non-sanctioned international travel. Volunteer recruit in lieu of time served.  _

They turn a corner and he reads the lines over again, turning over the words in his mind.

_ Volunteer recruit in lieu of time served. _

The man’s a smuggler. Not even a  _ good  _ smuggler apparently.

Seonghwa squints as the private opens the door, sunlight landing in his eyes. He reads the final lines of the profile.

_ Requested role: Shipping and Logistics _

_ Requested by: Brigadier General Min _

He grimaces, unsure if he’s opposed to the new operative because he’s the only member of the team not chosen by his father or if the clear lack of respect held by Lucky for the law, but Seonghwa is not eager to spend several hours in a car with him. He slams the folder shut. 

The private salutes as another, presumably the one who will be driving them, holds open the vehicle’s door. It’s nicer than the average Sergeant would be assigned. Probably nicer than what should be driving into a secret base. 

He sighs. This must be his cousin’s doing. 

To his left sits a man with his wrists handcuffed together on his lap as well as a blindfold wrapped tightly over his eyes.

“You must be Lucky.”

The man turns his head towards Seonghwa’s voice and the corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk. He holds up his wrists.

“Not quite.”

Seonghwa settles into an awkward silence and reads through the remaining pages in the folder for the length of their journey. An hour into their drive he realizes Lucky has other plans. 

“Do you mind?” Seonghwa finally breaks, closing the folder and turning towards his travel companion, who has been shifting every five minutes for the last half an hour.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Is my discomfort bothering you?”

“It is, actua-” Seonghwa stops mid-sentence. He’s this man’s commanding officer whether he likes it or not, and picking fights with him isn’t going to get him very far. He takes a deep breath. “If you tell me what’s causing your discomfort maybe I can help.”

Lucky stilled on the seat beside him. “Taking off the blindfold would be a good place to start.”

“No. Anything else?” 

He shakes his wrists and the chains on the handcuffs jingle.

“No. Good talk, though.”

“What about the name of the man I’m travelling with?” Lucky shifts in his seat.

Seonghwa sighs and resigns himself to the fact that the conversation will not end despite his best efforts. “You’ll be fully debriefed when we arrive at our destination.”

“Which is?”

“Another hour away. Settle in.”

Seonghwa is lulled into complacency by the silence that follows, though as soon as he relaxes against the expensive leather of the seat, Lucky continues. 

“How’d someone important like you get stuck in the car with a little ol’ criminal like me?”

“Efficiency. And who says I’m important?” He asks, keeping his tone impassive. His importance is fodder for a great deal of debate within the walls of the royal city. 

Lucky shrugs. “Just a hunch. The longer you have to wait for someone, the more important they usually end up being.”

Seonghwa snorts. “Trust me, I’m not important.”

“So are you important enough to know why I’m here?”

“I’ve been given the basics. I know enough.” 

“I’m sure the General wrote a glowing review.” 

Seonghwa grunts, unsure how his travel companion will interpret it. He doesn’t have to know the blank page of Seonghwa’s own recommendation is all that comes to mind.

“He found a very flattering way to convey you’re a smuggler who chose to become a spy rather than rot in prison.”

A harsh laugh passes Lucky’s lips. “They didn’t really offer much of a choice.”

“I’m sure they didn’t.” He keeps his tone light and seemingly uninterested, but he wonders, in passing, how a team with at least a quarter of its members having joined unwillingly could possibly run a mission, let alone turn the tides of the war on their doorstep. “How’d it happen?”

Lucky grimaces before shrugging a shoulder. 

“Patrol knows I’ve been successfully crossing but haven’t figured out where.” Seonghwa doesn’t miss the self-satisfied smirk that ghosts over his lips. “I decided it was time to try a new route. Was smooth as butter until I tripped over some kid just out of training digging a makeshift latrine on my way back.”

He shakes his head. “It was dark, the clearing was fully hidden until I pushed through the branches and landed right on top of him. Had I been walking even two steps to the left I would have gone right by and he’d have convinced himself it was just a little rabbit out for a nighttime stroll.”

“Hop,” Seonghwa supplements for a reason he can’t quite discern. Lucky tilts his head.

“Sure, hop.” His companion leans back into his seat, turning his body towards Seonghwa. 

“So,” he begins, “what are we in for, boss?”

Seonghwa runs his tongue over his upper teeth, considering what he can share before they reach their destination.

“The good news is you’ve escaped a drawn out death wasting away in Jiha. Bad news? All likelihood you’re about to meet a quick Bremenmacht bullet before the month is out.”

He doesn’t receive a response to that, though he really didn’t expect one. Despite the blindfold covering the other’s eyes, Seonghwa looks to his lap to avoid his gaze out of habit. His eyes fall on the folder once again.

Abruptly, a wry chuckle escapes him.

“This is funny to you?” Lucky asks, a sharp edge seeping into his tone that wasn’t there before.

“No,” Seonghwa says and shakes his head, despite finding the situation just a little funny in a hopeless, neither of us will walk away from this mission alive kind of way. Seonghwa knows the death rate of covert agents; it’s inevitable. 

“I just realized why they assigned you your alias.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love engaging with comments, so please feel free to leave one if you have questions or specific parts you enjoyed!! love me some kudos as well
> 
> thank you for reading!! happy new year!!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!! this will also have an irregular update schedule, but im already working on the next chapter (as well as the next chapter of bad things, *dabdabdab*). though i have some other wips (magic!seongjoong and indiana hwa and the desert pirates), i won't post anything new until im further along in both this and bad things
> 
> i am sustained by kudos and comments, pls indulge this narcissistic writer


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